


Here I Am (Stuck In Grimmauld Place With You)

by rufus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Grimmauld Place fic, M/M, Snupin Fantasy Fest, Snupin Fantasy Fest 2007
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:36:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rufus/pseuds/rufus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus Lupin and Severus Snape, outed as spies and forced into hiding, are trapped in Grimmauld Place while the final battle is approaching / is raging outside. Death Eaters are after them. Shenanigans ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here I Am (Stuck In Grimmauld Place With You)

**Author's Note:**

> In response to Prompt #40: 40 -- S & L both outed as spies, stuck in Grimmauld Place 4 protection. Bella/other DEs know where GP is, but can't see it because of Fidelius. S/L fend off B's attempts to get in while developing romance. Tense good, but keep it happy, Sex scene would be great!
> 
> This fic owes a deep and serious debt to the plot of _Home Alone_. Beta'd by Mnemosyne; originally published on LJ in 2007.
> 
> Rated mature for wanking, frottage and discussion of boy parts.

"No matter what happens, you are to _remain in this house,_ " Kingsley said, rapping the table with his wand for emphasis. 

Remus sighed softly, and took a sip of his tea. _As if we have anywhere else to go._ On the other side of the table, Snape snorted into his cup. Remus had overheard parts of Kingsley's conversation with the bruised and battered Auror who had arrived with Snape ( _very near thing_ and _lucky to make it out alive_ had figured prominently) but Snape himself seemed to have escaped with only a bad chest cold.

"You are to keep communications with the outside world to a minimum," Kingsley continued. "The Floos have already been locked down, though the one in this room will connect you to my office in an emergency. You are to avoid using owls at all costs; if you _must_ send someone a letter, let me know and I'll arrange for it." 

Snape set his cup down on the table with a faint thump and made a choked wheezing noise. Remus looked over at him, his initial alarm turning to irritation when he realized Snape was laughing. 

"You do, however, have the run of the house, and may do as you please," Kingsley said, raising his voice slightly. "Molly Weasley's been in, and I'm told there's enough food in the pantry and the freezer to feed both of you for at least a month –"

"The . . . Voldemort was quite enraged when he discovered my deception," Snape said, without looking up from the table. "He's unlikely to let such a transgression go unpunished." 

"The house is under three layers of _Fidelius_ , and the two of you will have no less than three Secret Keepers," Shacklebolt murmured, and slid his hands into the pockets of his torn, blood-spattered robes. "Remus, Tonks has requested to be yours. I'm standing for Snape, and Minerva McGonagall will keep the secret that both of you are here."

"And what are we to do if we are . . . attacked?" Snape asked, raising his head slowly. 

"They're not going to break into a house they can't _see,_ Snape," Kingsley snapped, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers are familiar with the house, and it would be reasonable to suspect we are in it," Snape said, his tone sharp and cold. "It is actually quite likely –"

"Er, sorry, but how long will we be here?" Remus asked, and pressed his fingertips against the headache forming behind his eyes.

"Until the end," Kingsley said, quietly, and a heavy silence fell over the kitchen.

 _Right,_ Remus thought, and took a steadying breath. _Here's hoping Harry wins the final battle._ He opened his eyes and looked through his fingers at Snape's scowling face. His stomach lurched unpleasantly, and he sighed. Surely it would all seem less awful in the morning.

"Wolfsbane will be provided by the Ministry," Kingsley said, after a while, his voice softening slightly. "I believe there is an appropriate –"

"Dungeon," Remus supplied, suddenly too tired to be diplomatic. "I've used it before. The wards may need to be reset, but the walls are sound."

"I'll have Dawlish sort it out," Kingsley muttered, and stepped into the fireplace. "I'll look in on you when I can. Goodnight, gentlemen."

"Good night, Kingsley," Remus said, and pushed himself up, wincing as his knees cracked and popped. "Thank you for everything."

"Good night, Shacklebolt," Snape said, and Kingsley vanished in a burst of green flames. 

**

They left the kitchen and made their way up the stairs quietly, so as to not disturb Mrs. Black's slumbering portrait. Snape disappeared into the dimness of the first floor corridor, his robes flapping behind him. Remus, consumed by a sudden need for solitude, climbed up one more flight before settling on a room with a window that faced onto the back garden. The carpet had some odd stains, but the bed was large, and the covers were clean. When nothing tried to eat him when he opened the wardrobe, he decided it would do. 

_It will be all right,_ he thought, dropping his half-empty rucksack on the bed. _You're warm and dry, and Harry got the information he needed before Greyback chased you off._ He unpacked slowly, obscurely soothed by the sound of the house creaking and sighing around him, and water gurgling through the pipes. 

When he was finished he wandered into the bathroom to bathe and clean his teeth, then crawled under the duvet. The mattress was a bit lumpy, and the pillows smelled vaguely of mothballs, but after soon many months sleeping in caves and forests with the wolves, it felt luxurious. That he had the entire (gloriously empty) bed all to himself was even better.

 _No more lice,_ Remus thought. _No more snoring. No more peculiar smells and horrible wet sounds in the darkness._ He sighed happily, and slid a hand down over his stomach to curl around his cock. It was warm and comforting against his palm as he started stroking gently, coaxing himself to hardness. 

He heard faint creaking noises from the direction of the baseboards ( _bedsprings?_ ) and paused, briefly, wondering if Snape was doing the same thing below him. If he was pulling up his nightshirt (or would he wear pyjamas?), sliding a pale hand down between his skinny legs (were they hairy or smooth?) and around his cock, which was . . . 

Remus adjusted his position so that his feet were flat on the bed, not sure if he was repulsed or intrigued by that train of thought. His erection had not wilted, but it did seem a little bit . . . not cricket, somehow, to be thinking about Snape while he had his hand on his cock. 

_It's not like he's ever going to **know**_ , he decided. Remus began moving his free hand in slow circles over his belly, and tried to picture Snape naked. He had never seen the man wear anything other than robes that covered him from neck to toes. Up until that unfortunate _Levicorpus_ incident in 5th Year, he had been only vaguely aware that Snape even had legs. 

But obviously he had to have a cock. It was probably . . . pale and thin, like the rest of him, yes, and . . . _oh_ . . . and with those long fingers of his, he could likely stretch down and get his bollocks as well . . . _oooh_ . . . 

Remus relaxed into the touch, content to let his mind wander as little waves of pleasure rolled over him. Snape's fingertips (rough or smooth?) were probably drawing little circles on his belly (or the inside of his thigh?) . . . _ahhh_ … all of those . . . _oh_. . . fiddly places it took other people so long to learn . . . _mmmmmmmmm._

Remus' hips had just started to buck when he heard more muffled creaking, followed by the sound of water gurgling in the pipes, and decided Snape must have finished. Perhaps he had got up for a glass of water, and was now curled up in the bed, sleeping the glorious kind of sleep that came of being clean and full of hot dinner for the first time in _months_. . . Remus sighed and rocked into his fingers . . . so _tired,_ and so _close_ , just . . . _ah_. . . a little more and _oh_ he could rest, too, and . . . _oh._

Remus let his legs slide down onto the bed, and lay still for a while. When he could think clearly again, he tugged his wand out from under the pillow, waved the mess away, and succumbed to sleep himself. 

**

The first week passed uneventfully. Remus filled his time with reading illegal books about the Dark Arts from Orion Black's library and drinking endless cups of tea. Snape alternated between pacing around the house in sulky silence and making thumping noises in the parlour. 

As Kingsley had promised, both the pantry and the freezer were full. After a two disasterous attempts at dinner on Remus' part, Snape put himself in charge of all of the cooking, and Remus took over the washing up. They managed to be civil to each other, though despite Remus' best efforts to be friendly, the only meal Snape was willing to eat in his company was lunch. 

They also walked around each other awkwardly in the kitchen at 2 (or 3, or, one time, 4:30) in the morning. They both drank valerian tea at these impromptu parties, and Remus noted with a mixture of disappointment and relief that Snape's hands shook as much as his own when he spooned the leaves into his cup. 

The second week was more difficult. Remus ran out of books to read in the Dark Arts section of the library and had to switch to Herbology, which caused him to develop a ferocious longing for sunlight on his face and fresh air. Meanwhile, Snape started reciting potions ingredients aloud while he paced, and complaining about the paucity of the spice rack while he cooked. 

The first few times it happened, Remus made sympathetic noises and tried to change the subject, but all that got him was four days worth of cinnamon in everything they ate, including spaghetti sauce. When he ventured a mild complaint, Snape switched to tumeric. By the end of the week, Remus was ready to Banish the entire contents of the spice rack and start living on boiled rice and chicken. He was taking out his frustration on the bright yellow stains on the lunch dishes (and contemplating the manifold applications of _Silencio_ ) when he heard a loud _crash!_ in the parlour. 

"Severus?" he called out, and picked up his wand. 

When he received no reply, he set the dish in the drainer and went to investigate. He found Snape standing next to a flipped-over footstool with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at something outside the front window. He looked more angry than frightened, which Remus found vaguely reassuring. Perhaps it was just Muggles making trouble outside . . .

"As I predicted, they've come looking for us," Sanpe said, and _that_ was when Remus saw Bellatrix Lestrange standing on the pavement in front of the house. There was something small and furry ( _rat_ ) on her shoulder and a look of intense concentration on her face. Though he knew it was impossible, she seemed to be staring right at them.

"I see she has Peter with her, as well," Remus said, and was pleased that his voice was steady. "How long have they been out there?" 

"A few minutes, perhaps," Snape said, and moved closer to the window. 

Bellatrix started walking up and down the street, and Remus wondered, briefly, where Harry was – where the _Order_ was – and how long it would take for someone to be brought back to guard them. Kingsley had been adamant that the _Fidelius_ would be enough, but . . . they all knew it had failed before. 

"Do you want the first watch, or shall I take it?" he inquired, and Snape made a long-suffering noise as he stalked off into the kitchen.

**

Remus watched Bellatrix pace, half listening to Snape shout at the Floo, half compiling a mental list of the wards already on the house. At least half of them were blood wards and would probably admit Bellatrix if she managed to break the _Fidelius._ And with only himself and Snape available to stand guard, there was no way they could watch every entrance all the time.

 _So we have to make sure that even if she gets in, that she doesn't get very far_ , Remus decided. He glanced at the front door again, and the troll-leg umbrella stand that was still lurking next to it, and a plan began to form in the back of his mind.

" _Accio_ school trunks," he said, thoughtfully, as Snape slammed the kitchen door open and stomped into the parlour.

"The Floo network is down," Snape said, his breath rattling in his chest. "We appear to be on our own."

"Oh, that is awkward," Remus said, absently, as a ragged line of trunks floated down the stairs and came to a halt in front of him.

Most of them had Slytherin crests painted on their sides, though there were two bearing the unmistakable scarlet and gold of Gryffindor. _The twins must have left them behind_ , he thought, and waved them into a neat circle before lowering them all to the ground.

He knelt down in the center of the circle and tapped the nearest one (pale gold wood, heavy iron lock) with his wand. The lid creaked back slowly, revealing a stack of leather bound books in the bottom of the trunk, a coil of something silver and green that might have been a scarf, and a bulky package with _Zonko's_ written on it in curling, old-fashioned script.

 _Now that's more like it._ Remus tugged it out, and smiled to himself when he felt the familiar curve of fireworks. He made a pleased noise and floated the package over to rest on the tiles in the foyer. Behind him, Snape muttered something that sounded like a cleaning charm, and sat down on one of the trunks.

Remus glanced up at him briefly (he was scowling, as usual) then settled down in front of the trunk and began exploring in earnest. He was rewarded with two Fizzing Whizbees, a bag of gobstones, a snitch, two torn-up Bludgers, a miniature cauldron, three vintage _Playwizards,_ and what was probably the first issue of _Palace._ Remus set them on the floor by Severus' feet, as a peace offering, and moved on to the next trunk.

An hour later, he had assembled a small arsenal consisting of four more bags of gobstones, five decks of Exploding Snap cards, seven Sneak-o-scopes in various states of disrepair, three miniature wooden wizards dressed in dragon-fighting gear (complete with functioning wands), six Bludgers and two Beater bats. He had also found a stack of sepia-toned picture postcards with quite unusual subject matter, which he kept for himself. 

**

Remus shucked off his robes, coughing a little when he was enveloped in a cloud of dust, and sat down heavily on the bed. They had spent the evening running up and down the stairs, setting traps at every door, window and fireplace, and he was tired. If the creaking and swishing noises coming from the corridor were anything to go by, though, Snape was still pacing. It was a bit like living with an extremely cranky metronome. 

_At least he hasn't challenged you to a duel to pass the time_ , Remus remind himself, as he cast an Imperturbable on the door. He tugged the postcards off the top of the nightstand and settled back against his pillows. The first one featured a wizard wearing Quidditch gear and a saucy smile, and carrying a Beater's bat. He moved through several provocative poses as Remus slid a hand between his legs and petted himself gently, trying to relax. A need for warmth and gentle touch had been prickling under his skin for days. Being close enough to Snape to brush against him inadvertently several times during the evening had only made it worse. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to miss the wolves, and their tendency to casually snuggle with each other.

 _Not too much longer, and you'll be out of here_ , he told himself, though he didn't really believe it. He let the picture-wizard go through his repertoire of poses once more before closing his eyes, tightening his grip on his cock and increasing the pace of his strokes. Much to his irritation, the first image to float up was Snape crouched on the floor of the kitchen, concentrating on building a tower of Exploding Snap cards. 

When he banished that one, his disobedient brain supplied a picture of Snape from earlier in the week, when Remus had wandered into the library and found him sitting in a puddle of sunlight, reading, his face soft and open. _**Stop** it,_ Remus scolded himself, and tried to focus on someone, anyone else. But no matter whom he chose – Stubby Boardman, assorted professional Quidditch players, and finally, in desperation, Charlie Weasley – they all kept morphing into Snape. 

He scowled at his impertinent cock (still bobbing against his stomach) and reached for the next card in the stack. The occupant, a dashing young wizard wearing nothing but a pair of piratical boots, had just started his second pose when Remus' door banged open and Snape appeared in the flesh, wild-eyed, flushed and wheezing hard. Remus blinked at him a couple of times, half-wondering if he had fallen asleep and started dreaming. Snape's gaze flickered from his face to his crotch and back again, and then he blushed a dull red and spun around to face the door. 

_You could have knocked_ , Remus thought, as he pulled the sheet up over his lap, and coughed pointedly at Snape's bony shoulders. When Snape still didn't turn around, he pulled his dressing gown on as loudly as he could.

"What is it, Severus?" Remus asked, perhaps a little more sharply then he intended, and a tendril of alarm uncurled in his stomach when Snape finally turned to face him.

"The rat . . . Pettigrew . . . was in the house," Snape said, swaying slightly. 

" _What?_ " Remus said, as he pushed the covers back and got to his feet, already running through the list of traps that _ought_ to have been tripped. But then Peter had always been clever that way . . .

"I heard him in the walls, in my room," Snape continued. "I drew him out, and forced him to change forms –" he paused, and shifted forward, his eyes closing briefly, " – but he escaped before I could find out anything useful."

"Right," Remus said, and took a steadying breath. "You sit down here for a minute, while I go and have a look around downstairs." 

When Snape didn't react, Remus curled a hand gently around one bony elbow and maneuvered him onto the bed. Snape made an indignant noise, and tried to stand up, but Remus pushed him back down firmly.

"I'll send a Patronus if I need help," he said, on his way out the door. Snape glared at him, but didn't offer any further objections.

The house was, for once, silent and still; even Mrs. Black's portrait had stopped snoring. He glanced at the front door as he passed it (the gobstones were still there) and checked the parlour, as well (the Sneak-o-scopes were swaying quietly in the moonlight) before progressing to the kitchen. All of the delicately rigged towers of Exploding Snap cards Snape had set up in front of each of the windows and the fireplaces were still standing. However Peter had gotten in the house, it hadn't been through any of the more obvious entrances.

 _I heard him in the walls_ , Snape whispered in the back of his mind, and Remus grimaced. There were probably hundreds if not thousands of perfect, rat-sized holes in the foundation, and plugging them all was days if not weeks of work. 

_Not like we have anything **else** to do, is it? _ he thought, and put the kettle on. He checked the dungeons while the water boiled, and tried calling Kingsley again while the tea was steeping. All he got for his trouble was a few sullen green sparks and the _fwibbit! fwibbit! fwibbit!_ of a broken connection. And then, on top of everything else, by the time he got upstairs, Snape had fallen asleep on his bed.

 _Fuck's sake,_ Remus thought, and set the mugs on the nightstand. The obvious solution – removing Snape to his own room – would require waking him up, but Remus was far too tired for the argument that was likely to cause. And the idea of finding another room for the night made his head hurt. So he cast a gentle Mobilicorpus, slid Snape across the mattress, and waved the duvet over his shoulders. Snape _hmmphed_ into the pillow, but didn't wake. Remus waited for a moment longer, listening to Snape's labored (but steady) breathing, before casting a stasis charm on their tea, and settling down next to him.

**

Remus woke to the sound of Snape coughing and the sensation of the bed moving beneath him. To his surprise, the clock on the nightstand said _08:00_ , and there was weak sunlight coming in the windows. He sat up slowly and scrubbed the sleep out of his eyes as Snape made his way to the door. _May as well get the shouting over with_ , he thought and raised his head. Snape stared back at him, his face still slightly pink and creased from the pillow, but didn't speak.

"Did you sleep well?" Remus asked, and Snape's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared outwards. 

"Right, ah . . . none of the traps had been sprung," Remus continued, and pushed himself up off the bed. "And the dungeons were clear. I tried Kingsley again but the Floo was still not working."

Snape nodded and swept out, closing the door behind him in a way that Remus felt was pointedly quiet. _**You** fell asleep in **my** bed!_ he thought, and pulled the dressing gown tighter around himself before stepping out into the corridor.

**

" _Reparo_ ," Snape said, and the Floo made more _fzzizzit! fwibble!_ noises and a few weak green sparks floated upwards. 

Snape swore softly, then knelt down next to the pot of Floo powder and started poking at the masonry with his wand. Remus picked a piece of bacon off the plate in front of him and took a cautious bite. It tasted vaguely of maple syrup, which was puzzling, but at least it wasn't tumeric. The scrambled eggs in the center of the table were far more worrying, not least because they didn't seem to be flavored with anything more exotic than a bit of cheese and tomato. 

Snape murmured something in French, and the hearth glowed blue, then emitted a burst of pink sparks before going dark again. Remus took another bite of bacon and settled back to watch Snape work. 

"We could try Minerva's office, or Scrimgeour's," Remus said a bit later, after watching the fireplace glow red, orange and yellow. "Or I could attempt to send a Patronus to Kingsley."

Snape threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace and called out the address of Kingsley's office. There was a brief pause, and then the hearth filled with green flames. Snape leaned forward and thrust his head and shoulders into the fire, and Remus quickly moved to join him. 

"Bugger _off,_ you cretin," Snape said, and jammed a pointy elbow in Remus' side.

Remus shoved him away and wriggled further forward. Despite his awkward position, once his head cleared he could see that Kingsley's desk, which was normally covered in stacks of parchment held down by chipped mugs, was instead full of neatly folded paper air planes. More disturbingly, the wall behind the desk was covered in plates bearing pictures of cats in frilly pink dresses and the windows were almost completely blocked by bright pink roses and tulips, rather than Kingsley's usual display of a sandy beach and swaying palm trees. 

"Bloody hell, they've put Umbridge in charge of the MLE." Remus said, and then someone ( _Bellatrix_ ) let out a cackle that made all of the hairs on Remus' neck stand up. Before he could react further, two thin, bony hands covered in prison tattoos ascended from the bottom of the fireplace and curled around Snape's shoulders.

Snape screamed and fired a hex at the floor that filled the fireplace with purple light. Remus heard a faint _pop!_ and then Bellatrix appeared on Kingsley's hearth and started firing bruising hexes. Snape responded with a curse that bloodied her nose and knocked her sideways, and Remus threw a stunning spell her. She ducked and rolled out of the way, casting _Tarantallegra_ on Snape as she moved. He fell over, swearing loudly, and replied with a Jelly Brain Jinx that filled the fireplace with red and blue sparks. 

Bellatrix froze for a moment, then let out a startled shriek and lunged forward, her bony hands grabbing at their robes and hair. Snape said something in Greek that made her wand catch on fire, and she dropped it into the green flames boiling around her knee. Remus was gathering himself to cast yet another stunning spell when she let out another ear-splitting shriek and dove in after it.

 _Well done, Severus,_ Remus thought, then wrapped an arm around Snape's waist and dragged him out of the Floo. He made it as far as the table before Snape's pinwheeling legs hit his bad knee and they both tumbled to the floor. 

" _Finite incantatem_ ," Remus gasped, and Snape's legs stopped moving. 

" _Collocaminus_ ," Snape said, and the fireplace made a loud squelching noise and went completely dark. 

Remus took a silent inventory of his own injuries ( _knee, bruises, scrapes, sore chest and scratchy throat from the smoke_ ) then rolled up on one elbow to look at Snape. His eyes were closed, his breathing was fast and laboured, and his face was covered in bruises and scratches.

"All right, Severus?" he asked, and Snape made a soft whimpering noise. _I'll take that as a no_ , Remus decided, then sat up and began unfastening Snape's robes.

"Shh, Severus, it's all right," he said, as he struggled with the clasps and pushed the fabric aside. "I have a first aid kit upstairs. I'll just have a quick look and –"

Snape opened his eyes and a wave of images ( _memories_ ) washed through Remus' mind. A very small Snape falling out of bed, a slightly larger one being shoved aside by a trio of older students in a corridor at Hogwarts, then being helped up and dusted off by Narcissa Malfoy, and finally, startingly, Remus himself, hitting wall after wall during an endless series of duels with Slytherins. He watched his younger self for a moment, half horrified and half bemused, then closed his eyes and pressed down on Snape's (oddly soft) stomach.

"Stop, Severus," he said, and fought the urge to lay his head down on Snape's pale, knobby chest as a chilly wave of dizziness washed over him, followed closely by a surge of longing for the pack that amplified the pain in his chest and throat. 

_You're a grown wizard, you might try to act like one_ , Remus reminded himself, and took a steadying breath. Snape coughed twice, then brought a hand up to squeeze Remus' wrist, which Remus took to mean _get off me, you arsehole._ He sighed and started to pull away, and was surprised when Snape tightened his grip.

"Okay," Remus said, and set his hand back down on Snape's warm belly. "All right. _Accio_ first aid kit."

The house creaked and sighed above them, and then Remus heard a muffled thump followed by a series of loud bangs, and the leather bag containing the few medicines he had been able to take to the wolves burst through the kitchen door and landed next to Snape's head. Snape made an irritated noise in the back of his throat and dug his nails into the underside of Remus' wrist.

"Oh, fuck off," Remus muttered, suddenly too tired to argue or apologize, then waved his wand at the bag to open it and dumped its contents out onto the stone floor.

"Have to . . . check . . . the traps," Snape said a bit later, as Remus rubbed Bruise Balm over his bony ribs. "And the . . . dungeons."

Remus made a noise of agreement and slid his hand through the opening of Snape's robes, rubbing his way past Snape's waist and hips ( _skin is tender, but no open wounds_ ) to his . . .

. . . _cock_ , Remus thought, as Snape went very still. Remus eased his hand away, back up to the safer territory of Snape's chest, as another wave of dizziness washed over him. He had proof now, that Severus Snape had a cock, a hard cock, that was heavy and warm to the touch, and . . . 

Remus looked down and Snape was staring at him, flushed and wide-eyed. _He didn't hex me._ Remus pushed that thought away ( _that's luck, not an invitation_ ), swallowed carefully and scooped another handful of balm out of the pot. He gasped quietly as his whole body started tingling, instead of just his fingers.

 _Adrenaline_ , Remus thought, as he went back to work on Snape's ribs, the movement causing his own cock to fill. _It's the adrenaline. I'll . . . I'll go . . ._ He trailed off into vague thoughts of bathrooms and sneak-o-scopes, distracted by the ache between his legs and the pungent menthol smell of the balm. 

Snape made a strange noise and yanked on his wrist, which somehow led to Remus lying down next to Snape on the floor, right on top of the pots of murtlap and dittany, and the two of them shifting around so that there were just enough tangled limbs to provide the necessary pressure and friction, and . . .

Remus curled his hands around Snape's shoulders, squeezed his eyes shut and came with a great sigh of relief. A moment later, Snape's body jerked twice and went limp in his arms. Remus cautiously slid a hand down to rest in the small of Snape's back and, when he encountered no resistance, began moving it in slow circles, until they both fell asleep.

**

The next time Remus opened his eyes, his entire body was sore and unpleasantly sticky, and Snape, apparently still asleep, was curled up facing the opposite direction. Remus sat up carefully, then took a deep breath, and cast a gentle cleansing charm on the two of them. 

Snape twitched and rolled towards him, his face twisted up in a grimace of pain, and started scratching at his left forearm. Remus edged closer and caught hold of Snape's hand. His skin was warm and clammy, and his pulse was racing. _He's being summoned_ , Remus realized. _Voldemort must be getting ready for . . . the battle._

"Severus? Can I help you?" he asked, and Snape opened his eyes a fraction.

"Pillock," he murmured, and Remus blinked at him a couple of times before hauling himself to his feet. He took a few careful steps, and, when his knee didn't give out, he transfigured two chairs into a rough cot and moved Snape onto it.

"Foolish werewolf," Snape said, mostly to himself, as Remus transfigured a dishtowel into a serviceable blanket and settled it over his shoulders. "Don't forget the . . . _ahhh!_ "

His grunt turned into a scream as his body spasmed once, twice, three times, and Remus dropped down next to him, not sure what to do but unwilling to leave him alone. Snape growled at him and Remus ducked his head and nuzzled his face without thinking. When he realized what he was doing and pulled back, Snape was staring at him, wide-eyed, two bright spots of colour in his cheeks. 

"Sorry," Remus muttered, then stood up and set about gathering up the leftover medicines and clearing away the remains of their breakfast. Snape made a soft huffing noise, but offered no further comment.

After he finished tidying up, Remus made two slow circuits of the house, and found that, as he had expected, all of the traps were intact, even the Gobstones by the front door. By the time he hobbled back to the kitchen, Snape had recovered enough to start chopping potatoes, though he was doing it with his left arm pressed tightly against his body.

"All right, Severus?" Remus asked, sniffing the air carefully. If he wasn't mistaken, he smelled roast beef and Worcestershire sauce.

Snape stiffened and turned around slowly, but the glare he gave Remus seemed somehow less ferocious than usual. _Well, that's a start, I suppose,_ Remus thought, as the knot of tension in his stomach unwound a little. Their encounter that morning was probably a one-off and best forgotten, but perhaps Snape wasn't going to make the rest of their time in the house a complete misery. Snape arched an inquisitive eyebrow at him, and Remus gave himself a little shake and moved towards the door to the dungeons.

"Right, I'll just be downstairs, if you – ," Remus paused, and swallowed back the _if you need me_ that had almost come out of his mouth. "If anyone comes for us."

Snape made a small noise that could have been agreement or disbelief, and Remus tugged the door open and started down the narrow stone stairs feeling almost content.

**

_Swish click click swish_

Remus spun around, wand at the ready, but as usual there was nothing behind him except for stacks of broken chairs, boxes marked Lammastide Decorations in ragged black script, and another troll's foot umbrella stand full of broken brooms. 

"Show yourself, Peter," he called out, and shifted his weight onto his good leg.

_Swish swish click click swish_

Remus narrowed his eyes and took a few steps toward the sound of the noise, half-hoping for a real fight. It would certainly alleviate the tedium of wandering around in the stuffy, smelly darkness searching for home repair supplies in boxes of ancient Quidditch and Gobstones trophies, moldy spellbooks and bone china that, according to the label, was made from thestrals. When no opponent appeared, Remus sighed and turned back to his work. _This is pointless,_ whispered a small voice in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

An hour later, or perhaps two, he resealed yet another box of mummified House Elf heads, and sat down on the floor. It was cold, and he could hear things clicking and rustling in the darkness, but his hips and knees were so sore he no longer cared if Peter was lurking in the gloom, or if something nasty was preparing to crawl up his trousers. He permitted himself a long-suffering sigh and moved his wand in a slow arc, which revealed a mooncalf head mounted for display, a box marked _chess sets – P.N.B._ that he was _sure_ he'd seen before, and a box of dusty potions vials.

The latter served to remind him that his transformation was only a week and a half away, and no one was likely to be bringing him Wolfsbane now. Even if Harry won (which, given the ongoing silence from upstairs, was seeming more unlikely every minute) the welfare of one decrepit werewolf was hardly going to be on the top of anyone's priority list.

Remus sighed again, then struggled to his feet. He hobbled through the towering piles of junk until he got to the area he and Sirius had cleared two years previously, by the entrance to his cell. _May as well refresh the wards,_ he decided, and stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind him. The clang of the door made his eyes prickle with inexplicable tears, and he scrubbed at his face with some irritation before he began recasting the protections on the walls.

He was halfway through the first set of spells when the door to the kitchen scraped open and Snape called his name. Remus ignored him and continued casting, vaguely aware that he was stumbling over some of the words, but not really caring. Snape would Apparate away, if he had to, and no one else was likely to come looking for him. 

"Lupin!" Snape called out again, his voice sounding more alarmed than angry.

There was a pause, and then Remus heard more faint swishing and clicking that he supposed was Snape coming down the stairs. He turned his head and was surprised to find a small, hairy creature with a rock for head staring at him through the bars. _Pogrebin_ , he thought, and then Snape appeared, his robes flaring out behind him, and kicked the thing back into the darkness.

"The idiot child has won," he said, without preamble, and pushed back his left sleeve to reveal his bare forearm. "Now get _up_ , you fool, so we can get out of here before that creature comes back."

Remus stared at him for a moment, then rose slowly and opened the door. He felt very foolish, having to be rescued from a Pogrebin, of all things, and by Snape, of all people, and his legs were wobbly and his chest still hurt, but really, all of that was fine, because Harry had won. 

"Come _now,_ " Snape said, "lunch is –" and Remus threw all caution to the wind, stepped forward, and gathered him into hug. 

Snape squeaked and went rigid, and Remus was about to let him go and accept whatever hex came his way (he had a feeling there might be boils involved), but then the body in his arms relaxed a fraction, and Snape raised his head and nuzzled Remus' cheek. Startled, Remus pulled back, and stared at Snape's flushed face and half-furious, half-anxious expression. Remus held still for a moment, considering his options, then bent his head and brushed their mouths together, not sure what he was trying to say but hoping Snape understood just the same.

"I made Yorkshire pudding," Snape said after a while, and took a step backwards. He almost looked like he might be smiling. "It doesn't –"

He was interrupted by a loud crash, which was followed by a bang, which was in turn followed Mrs. Black erupting into outraged shrieks. A moment later Remus heard Kingsley calling out to them, and started up the stairs with Snape on his heels.


End file.
